In the north west of Nigeria, the heat cooked in the vicious kitchen of bandits and other criminal elements is blinding ,choking and annihilating. Everyday, gory tales of kidnaps, abduction and killings are recorded in helpless statistics – life there is now a glaring replica of the Hobesian state of brutal, nasty and short reality. Scores are maimed ,killed and dehumanized by those who prefer the sight of sorrow than the assemblage of happiness. Living like kings ,acting in cruel stead and extinguishing lives are the cherry preoccupations of these non state actors either in Sokoto, Zamfara, kaduna and Katsina.
In Katsina, it’s the same story of human cruelty by man to fellow man- lives are snuffed out in great numbers , women raped and debased, towns raided and left bare, school children abducted and tortured, travellers captured and dehumanized – every day, it has been headlines of sorrow,tears and blood.
The kinetic approach of the state government has been the stoic wall that has kept the state still standing, the tough talks of the Governor, the ceaseless utilizations of the minimal security architecture in the state holds largely the ace we still have some decent relief in Katsina. Imagine if the governor had gone to sleep, the state would have been run in slumber by the menacing grips of the non state actors!
To say Governor Umar Radda is perhaps the most hated governor in the eyes of the bandits is to agree to the reality of truth. They despise him with venom and wish him the ills that befall their albatross. He is a piercing thorn in their body fabric. With the relentless coordinated onslaught by Radda and his team, it is just normal that more hands need to be harnessed in the final push against criminal elements in the whole of North West.
Available records show Katsina State has a sparse military presence,in fact, the state has only a brigade to mount the guard of its territorial space. With all empirical insights, we know how impossible it is for these patriotic men to cover the entirety of Katsina – a state bordered by many other states – a typical reference of a dot in a circle. To complement the efforts and resilience of these men on guard, it is expeditious that the Nigerian Army begin to tinker the very urgent need to have a Theatre Command in Katsina so that the state by extension the whole of the North West can be cleaned of the vicious reigns of criminal elements.
The time for action is now. The urgent need for a Theatre Command in Katsina cannot be overstated. This strategic move would galvanize the military’s efforts, enhance coordination, and provide a unified response to the criminal elements terrorizing the region.
A Theatre Command would bring together all military assets, resources, and expertise under one roof, enabling a more effective and sustained campaign against banditry and criminality. It would also facilitate greater intelligence sharing, interoperability, and joint operations among security agencies.
The establishment of a Theatre Command in Katsina would be a game-changer in the fight against insecurity in the North West. It would demonstrate the government’s commitment to the region’s security and well-being, and provide a much-needed boost to the morale of the security personnel and the local population.
Furthermore, a Theatre Command would enable the military to: Develop a comprehensive understanding of the threat landscape, Coordinate joint operations with other security agencies, Enhance intelligence gathering and sharing, Provide strategic guidance and support to troops and Facilitate logistics and resource allocation.
The people of Katsina and the North West region cannot afford to wait any longer. The time for a Theatre Command is now. Let us join hands to make this a reality and restore peace, security, and prosperity to our beloved region.
The establishment of a Theatre Command in Katsina is a crucial step towards defeating the scourge of banditry and insurgency in the North West region. We have seen the success of this strategy in other parts of the country.
For instance, the establishment of the Theatre Command Operation Lafiya Dole in the North East has been instrumental in the fight against Boko Haram insurgency. Similarly, the Theatre Command Operation Delta Safe in the Niger Delta has helped to curb oil theft and militancy.
In the North West, the Theatre Command Operation Hadarin Daji has made significant progress in tackling banditry and kidnapping in Zamfara State. These success stories demonstrate the effectiveness of the Theatre Command strategy in coordinating military efforts and achieving tangible results.
We urge the Federal Government and the Nigerian Army to replicate this success in Katsina State by establishing a Theatre Command. With a unified command structure, enhanced coordination, and increased resources, we are confident that the military can defeat the bandits and insurgents, restore peace and security, and bring hope to the people of Katsina and the North West region.
Let us act now and make the Theatre Command in Katsina a reality. The people of Katsina deserve nothing less.
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